Mudlarque Muses

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

I realized I have been to some new places since I posted this map a few years ago. Since Hong Kong is part of China, it looks like I have been to mainland China.

And I've been to a little tiny bit of Canada, but the map makes it look way more impressive. Ditto Spain, Italy, France and Mexico.

I haven't travelled abroad since the 2011 trip to Spain and France. I am so happy when I am in a new place for a while. But now that I have a dog it is more complicated getting away for any length of time.
He is such a sweet loving creature and I know he is confused when I am not around on a regular basis. Maybe once I retire I can hit the road again.

Ah yes, retirement. I have finally started setting some wheels in motion.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Nothing derails your train of thought like the words "invasive" and "carcinoma" coming out of the phone. Well. There it is.

After planning my funeral and wondering who would take all the cats, I finally gave up waiting to hear from my primary care physician and made an appointment with a breast surgeon. So following the MRI and the pathology report I learned that this is not going to be a reason to quit the job and spend the retirement account. Dang.

There will be a lumpectomy (what an ugly word) on Monday, and then I will find out about radiation and chemo or hormone therapy. But apparently there will be no excuse for doing the Camille thing.

In the meantime here are some words of wisdom:

FIVE RULES TO REMEMBER IN LIFE: (blatantly stolen Susan Wever who attributed them to someone named Roz)

1. Money cannot buy happiness but it's more comfortable to cry in a Mercedes than on a bicycle.

2. Forgive your enemy, but remember the bastard's name.

3. Help someone when they are in trouble and they will remember you when they're in trouble again.

4. Many people are alive only because it's illegal to shoot them.

5. Alcohol does not solve any problems, but then again, neither does milk. Drink Up Everyone !!!

A very interesting article about the importance of making, using your hands and mind and doing things well. It expresses well some ideas I have been mulling over for quite some time, but have never really put into a coherent form. It began when I started weaving, making pots, knitting. Why am I doing these things? Why do I feel compelled to make things as soon as I can escape from cubicle world?

Of course, in cubicle world I find myself taking extra time to figure out ways to help the users, get the data they want, create edits that might seem impossible, and decipher what they really need in spite of what they say they want. So I guess the idea of craftsmanship can be applied to part of my job, even though most of it is soul-sucking tedium.